Lush Corruption | Harry Styles AU | BOOK 2 ✓

11

Vicky West

I couldn’t think of one good reason that Harry would call me to his office. I was completely overwhelmed by the. intensity in his eyes, and when he called my name I was stunned to silence. We hadn’t spoken two words to each other since I bitched him out at his party, and now he wanted to talk to me; it couldn’t be a good thing. Red shook my shoulder, attempting to bring me out of my daze, but I brushed her off and made my way up to Harry.

I felt like I was walking to my own execution, every step bringing me closer to the inevitable end. I had walked this route many times, taken the spiral staircase up to the mezzanine that held Harry’s office, but I had never dreaded my impending arrival. I felt anxious – scared even – I couldn’t imagine why Harry would want to speak to me. He seemed angry, and I began to think that maybe this was it. Perhaps we had blown things out of proportion and he was over it, I was probably going to get fired. Of course it is unethical for a businessman to fire an employee over personal vendetta, but Harry wasn’t always rational, or ethical.

Instead of bursting into his office – like I had done many times before – I decided to politely knock. I raised my hand, preparing for my knuckles to meet the dark oak, but the door swung open before I could make contact. I glanced up, the close proximity of his jade green eyes catching me off guard, and I had to look away. He stepped back, opening the door wide enough for me to enter.

“Come in, Vicky.’’ He told me monotonously.

I nodded, keeping my eyes trained on the floor as I passed him. His office hadn’t changed since the last time I was in here, papers still strewn across the desk and the tiny knick-knacks I had bought for him in New York sat on his bookshelf in the corner. Everything was exactly the same, but we weren’t. Here I was, in my barely-there red lace costume, preparing to be scolded by Harry for god knows what.

Harry shut the door, and strolled over to his desk. He sat down in his chair, unable to get comfortable, before standing back up and leaning his hip on his desk. He loosened his tie, pulling at the finely done Windsor, and opened a few buttons of his shirt. I tried not to stare when his swallows – that I adore – came into view.

“Okay,’’ Harry said, standing back up again. My eyes followed his movements as he paced the room, seeming unsure of where to start. He tugged on his bottom lip, the distant look in his eyes making him hard to read. “It’s so… I don’t know, weird to see you after… our fight at my house, don’t you think?’’ He asked me nervously.

I hadn’t expected him to bring that up, or look so nervous while saying it. His vulnerability caught me off guard, and I wasn’t exactly sure what I had planned to say, but the truth fell from my lips. “Yeah, it is.” I admitted.

“The thing is,’’ He spoke, stopping his pacing as our eyes locked. “No, wait, I can’t.’’ He fumbled, opting for sitting in his chair with his elbows on the desk. He held his face in his hands, and started to rub at his eyes. “I’m sorry, I can’t seem to get my thoughts together… or my life for that matter. I know I look like shit.’’ He apologized.

“It’s okay,’’ I assured him, opting to leave out my opinions on his exhausted, but still breathtaking, appearance.

“You’re probably wondering why I called you to my office?’’

“Yes,”

“Well,’’ Harry breathed out a deep sigh. “These last couple of days, after the outburst in my hallway, has been hell for me. I owe you an apology Vicky, and a mighty fucking big one.’’ He stood up, and my heart began to accelerate when he kneeled in front of me.

“Harry, I–.’’ I began, but he quickly shushed me.

“Please, Vicks. I just need you to hear me out, yeah? These past few months have been fucked up, they’ve been hell, and I could only imagine how much worse it was for you. New York was amazing, and when we got back all I did was ignore you. I know I pushed you away Vicky, but I didn’t know what else to do.’’ He explained to me, stopping for a moment to make sure I was still listening.